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Young jackdaw swallows tweezers
xray
The vets believe that someone may have been hand-feeding the little jackdaw.

Little bird overzealously bit off more than he could chew.

The RSPCA has dealt with one of the most bizarre cases involving a juvenile Jackdaw and a pair of tweezers.

The wildlife vets present when the jackdaw was presented have described the case as “the most incredible recovery”.

Wildlife vet Dr Bev Panto said: “When I saw the X-rays and the size of the tweezers he had swallowed, I thought there was absolutely no chance this poor jackdaw could survive.

"The tweezers stretched the whole length of his digestive system - right from his crop to his intestines and the sharp ends were piercing through his skin.”

The vets believe that someone may have been hand-feeding the little jackdaw and that he may have overzealously bitten off more than he could chew.

Following a complex and delicate surgery to remove the tweezers through his stomach, vets spent a tense period waiting to see whether he would recover, and recover he did. Vets say he is “right as rain” and feeding well.

Dr Panto said: “How such a small bird can survive such a traumatic incident, and then undergo major surgery and appear fighting fit the next day, is quite incredible.”

The team at the RSPCA say he has a long way to go but hope to see him through to release.

Image (C) RSPCA

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Submissions open for BSAVA Clinical Research Abstracts 2026

News Story 1
 The BSAVA has opened submissions for the BSAVA Clinical Research Abstracts 2026.

It is an opportunity for applicants to present new research on any veterinary subject, such as the preliminary results of a study, discussion of a new technique or a description of an interesting case.

They must be based on high-quality clinical research conducted in industry, practice or academia, and summarised in 250 words.

Applications are welcome from vets, vet nurses, practice managers, and students.

Submissions are open until 6 March 2026. 

Click here for more...
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Survey seeks ruminant sector views on antimicrobial stewardship

A new survey is seeking views of people working in the UK ruminant sector on how to tackle the challenge of demonstrating responsible antibiotic stewardship.

Forming part of a wider, collaborative initiative, the results will help identify the types of data available so that challenges with data collection can be better understood and addressed.

Anyone working in the UK farming sector, including vets and farmers,is encouraged to complete the survey, which is available at app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk